Vehicle traction deicing system

Abstract

The vehicle traction deicing system comprises a reservoir, a pump, a heater, a plurality of valves, a plurality of nozzles, and an operator interface. The reservoir holds a supply of deicing fluid which the pump moves through the heater, valves, and nozzles. The nozzles are placed in front of and behind each wheel of a vehicle and pointed at the windshield. The valves control the flow of deicing fluid to the various nozzles. The heater heats the deicing fluid prior to dispersal by the nozzles. The operator interface provides a set of controls that allow the vehicle traction deicing system to be turned on and off and to dispense the heated deicing fluid at wheels and at the windshield.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle traction deicing system comprising:
 a reservoir, a pump, a heater, a plurality of valves, a plurality of wheel nozzles, at least one windshield nozzle, and an operator interface; 
 wherein the vehicle traction deicing system applies heated deicing fluid to the plurality of wheels and/or the windshield of a vehicle; 
 wherein the reservoir is a holding tank for deicing fluid; 
 wherein the reservoir couples to the pump via one of a plurality of distribution lines; 
 wherein the reservoir is accessible for refilling through a reservoir cap; 
 wherein the pump is a device that moves the deicing fluid from a pump inlet to a pump outlet when the pump is energized by an electrical potential applied to the pump; 
 wherein the pump inlet is coupled to the reservoir; 
 wherein the pump outlet is coupled to a main valve via one of the plurality of distribution lines; 
 wherein the main valve blocks the flow of the deicing fluid unless energized by an electrical potential applied to the main valve; 
 wherein a main valve inlet is coupled to the pump outlet via one of the plurality of distribution lines; 
 wherein a main valve outlet is coupled to the heater; 
 wherein the deicing fluid enters the heater at a heater inlet and the heated deicing fluid exits from the heater via a heater outlet; 
 wherein the source of the heat is a fluid connection to a vehicle radiator cooling system or a heating element located within the heater that is by an electrical potential applied to the heater; 
 wherein the heater comprises a heater regulator; 
 wherein the heater regulator prevents the temperature of the heated deicing fluid from going above a preset temperature limit by removing the electrical potential from the heating element or rerouting the fluid connection when the heated deicing fluid is at or above the preset temperature limit; 
 wherein the heater outlet couples to the plurality of distribution lines which carry the heated deicing fluid to a left front wheel valve, a right front wheel valve, a left rear wheel valve, and a right rear wheel valve; 
 wherein the heated deicing fluid flows to a windshield valve, either via one of the plurality of distribution lines or by direct coupling when the heater comprises the windshield valve. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 1 
 wherein the plurality of valves comprises the left front wheel valve, the right front wheel valve, the left rear wheel valve, the right rear wheel valve, and the windshield valve; 
 wherein the left front wheel valve blocks the flow of the heated deicing fluid unless energized by an electrical potential applied to the left front wheel valve; 
 wherein a left front wheel valve inlet is coupled to the heater outlet via the plurality of distribution lines; 
 wherein a left front wheel valve outlet is coupled to a first wheel nozzle and a second wheel nozzle via the plurality of distribution lines; 
 wherein the right front wheel valve blocks the flow of the heated deicing fluid unless energized by an electrical potential applied to the right front wheel valve; 
 wherein a right front wheel valve inlet is coupled to the heater outlet via the plurality of distribution lines; 
 wherein a right front wheel valve outlet is coupled to a third wheel nozzle and a fourth wheel nozzle via the plurality of distribution lines. 
 
     
     
       3. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 2 
 wherein the left rear wheel valve blocks the flow of the heated deicing fluid unless energized by an electrical potential applied to the left rear wheel valve; 
 wherein a left rear wheel valve inlet is coupled to the heater outlet via the plurality of distribution lines; 
 wherein a left rear wheel valve outlet is coupled to a fifth wheel nozzle and a sixth wheel nozzle via the plurality of distribution lines; 
 wherein the right rear wheel valve blocks the flow of the heated deicing fluid unless energized by an electrical potential applied to the right rear wheel valve; 
 wherein a right rear wheel valve inlet is coupled to the heater outlet via the plurality of distribution lines; 
 wherein a right rear wheel valve outlet is coupled to a seventh wheel nozzle and an eighth wheel nozzle via the plurality of distribution lines. 
 
     
     
       4. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 3 
 wherein the windshield valve blocks the flow of the heated deicing fluid unless energized by an electrical potential applied to the windshield valve; 
 wherein a windshield valve inlet is coupled to the heater outlet via the plurality of distribution lines; 
 wherein a windshield valve outlet is coupled to the at least one windshield nozzle via the plurality of distribution lines. 
 
     
     
       5. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the plurality of wheel nozzles comprises the first wheel nozzle, the second wheel nozzle, the third wheel nozzle, the fourth wheel nozzle, the fifth wheel nozzle, the sixth wheel nozzle, the seventh wheel nozzle, and the eighth wheel nozzle; 
 wherein the plurality of wheel nozzles disperse the heated deicing fluid onto the plurality of wheels and onto the ground at the plurality of wheels. 
 
     
     
       6. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 5 
 wherein the first wheel nozzle is coupled to the vehicle in front of a left front wheel; 
 wherein the second wheel nozzle is coupled to the vehicle behind the left front wheel; 
 wherein when the heated deicing fluid is pumped to the first wheel nozzle and the second wheel nozzle, the first wheel nozzle and the second wheel nozzle disperses the heated deicing fluid onto the left front wheel and onto the ground in front of and behind the left front wheel; 
 wherein the third wheel nozzle is coupled to the vehicle in front of a right front wheel; 
 wherein the fourth wheel nozzle is coupled to the vehicle behind the right front wheel; 
 wherein when the heated deicing fluid is pumped to the third wheel nozzle and the fourth wheel nozzle, the third wheel nozzle and the fourth wheel nozzle disperses the heated deicing fluid onto the right front wheel and onto the ground in front of and behind the right front wheel. 
 
     
     
       7. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 6 
 wherein the fifth wheel nozzle is coupled to the vehicle in front of a left rear wheel; 
 wherein the sixth wheel nozzle is coupled to the vehicle behind the left rear wheel; 
 wherein when the heated deicing fluid is pumped to the fifth wheel nozzle and the sixth wheel nozzle, the fifth wheel nozzle and the sixth wheel nozzle disperses the heated deicing fluid onto the left rear wheel and onto the ground in front of and behind the left rear wheel; 
 wherein the seventh wheel nozzle is coupled to the vehicle in front of a right rear wheel; 
 wherein the eighth wheel nozzle is coupled to the vehicle behind the right rear wheel; 
 wherein when the heated deicing fluid is pumped to the seventh wheel nozzle and the eighth wheel nozzle, the seventh wheel nozzle and the eighth wheel nozzle disperses the heated deicing fluid onto the right rear wheel and onto the ground in front of and behind the right rear wheel. 
 
     
     
       8. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 7 
 wherein an individual nozzle selected from the plurality of wheel nozzles comprises a plurality of nozzle apertures; 
 wherein the heated deicing fluid is pumped into the individual nozzle via the plurality of distribution lines and sprays out of the plurality of nozzle apertures; 
 wherein the diameter of the plurality of nozzle apertures determines the distance from the individual nozzle that the heated deicing fluid is sprayed. 
 
     
     
       9. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 8 
 wherein the plurality of nozzle apertures on the individual nozzle comprise multiple diameters. 
 
     
     
       10. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 8 
 wherein the at least one windshield nozzle comprises one or more nozzles mounted in front of the windshield and oriented to disperse the heated deicing fluid onto the windshield when the heated deicing fluid is pumped to the at least one windshield nozzle by the pump. 
 
     
     
       11. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 10 
 wherein the operator interface controls the operation of the vehicle traction deicing system; 
 wherein the operator interface is electrically coupled to a vehicle electrical system, the pump, the heater, the main valve, the left front wheel valve, the left rear wheel valve, the left rear wheel valve, the right rear wheel valve, and the windshield valve via a plurality of wires; 
 wherein the operator interface is powered by the connection to the vehicle electrical system. 
 
     
     
       12. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 11 
 wherein the operator interface comprises a power control, a wheel valve control, and a windshield valve control; 
 wherein the operator interface comprises a control circuit to sense the power control, the wheel valve control, and the windshield valve control and to energize the heater, the pump, and the plurality of valves. 
 
     
     
       13. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 12 
 wherein activation of the power control turns the vehicle traction deicing system on; 
 wherein activation of the power control energizes the pump and the main valve to force the deicing fluid into the heater; 
 wherein activation of the power control energizes the heater; 
 wherein activation of the power control places the control circuit located within the operator interface into a state where the control circuit will recognize and respond to activation of the wheel valve control and the windshield valve control; 
 wherein activation of the power control when the vehicle traction deicing system is already on turns the vehicle traction deicing system off by de-energizing the heater, the pump, and the plurality of valves, and by causing the control circuit to ignore the wheel valve control and the windshield valve control. 
 
     
     
       14. The vehicle traction deicing system according to  claim 13 
 wherein activation of the wheel valve control while the vehicle traction deicing system is on causes the control circuit to energize the left front wheel valve, the right front wheel valve, the left rear wheel valve, and the right rear wheel valve for the duration of the wheel valve control activation; 
 wherein activation of the windshield valve control while the vehicle traction deicing system is on causes the control circuit to energize the windshield valve for the duration of the windshield valve control activation.